Point-Counterpoint: Should Clinical Microbiology Laboratories Report Vancomycin MICs?

INTRODUCTIONWith numerous reported challenges to reporting MICs for vancomycin, clinical laboratories are attempting to identify accurate methods for MIC testing. However, the issues of poor reproducibility, accuracy, and clinical utility remain a challenge. In this Point-Counterpoint, Dr. Sara Revolinski discusses the pros of reporting MICs for vancomycin, while Dr. Christopher Doern argues for the use of caution.

Antibiotic Duration and Outcome Complications for Surgical Site Infection Prevention in Traumatic Mandible Fracture.

BACKGROUND: The appropriate duration of antibiotic therapy for surgical site infection (SSI) prevention in traumatic mandibular fracture repair is unknown, and practices vary significantly. The objective of this study was to characterize antibiotic duration and outcomes after surgical repair of traumatic mandibular fracture. METHODS: A single-center, retrospective analysis of all adult patients who underwent surgical fixation of a mandible fracture between January 2014 and December 2016 was performed. Operative service was categorized between otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat surgery), plastic and reconstructive surgery, and oral and maxillofacial services. Primary outcomes were SSI and operative complications (including osteomyelitis, nonunion, malocclusion, and hardware infections). Differences in antibiotic prescription pattern were analyzed using analysis of variance test and Pearson chi-squared test. RESULTS: A total of 75 patients were included in the study with 33 (44.0%), 26 (34.7%), and 16 (21.3%) managed by plastic and reconstructive surgery, ear, nose, and throat surgery, and oral and maxillofacial services, respectively. Median age was 30.0 y. Median injury severity score was 4.0. There was no significant difference in hospital length of stay (P = 0.44), intensive care unit length of stay (P = 0.53), or postoperative complications (P = 0.15). None of our patients developed an SSI or postantibiotics complications. Although the total inpatient duration of antibiotics was not significantly different among services (P = 0.37), there were significant differences in outpatient duration of antibiotics (P = 0.007) and total duration of antibiotics (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Duration of antibiotics is not associated with postoperative SSI or antibiotics-related complications. The wide variation in prescribing practices and lack of any clear benefit for prolonged antibiotics provides an opportunity to explore the benefits of a standardized short course of antibiotics. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, III.

Clostridioides difficile in transplant patients: early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Clostridioides difficile infection is common in solid organ transplant and hematopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. These populations are also underrepresented in clinical trials, making optimal management difficult. Because of this, management of these populations follows national guideline recommendations. This review aims to summarize the recent relevant literature pertaining to the clinical management of C. difficile infection in transplant patients, with a particular focus on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. RECENT FINDINGS: Early diagnosis of C. difficile colonization may mitigate both horizontal and vertical transmission (progression from colonization to colitis) of infection. Once diagnosed, recent literature suggests antibiotic treatment should align with that recommended by national guidelines. Fecal microbiota transplant is an emerging therapy for recurrent C. difficile infection, and recent data have demonstrated safety and efficacy. Prevention strategies including antimicrobial stewardship, probiotic administration, antibiotic administration, and bezlotoxumab may be beneficial in transplant populations, but more data are needed to confirm recent findings. SUMMARY: Studies evaluating C. difficile infection in transplant patients are only recently starting to emerge. Further research is needed to identify optimal treatment and prevention strategies, and to examine novel strategies such as microbiome manipulation.

Clostridium difficile Exposures, Colonization, and the Microbiome: Implications for Prevention.

New studies have been published regarding the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile in topics such as asymptomatic C. difficile colonization, community-associated C. difficile infection, environmental contamination outside healthcare settings, animal colonization, and the interactions between C. difficile and the gut microbiome. In addition to summarizing these findings, this review offers a perspective on the potential impact of high-throughput sequencing and other potential techniques on the prevention of C. difficile.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:596-602.